Make that a Sept. launch for the Apple tablet

Well, how about a September launch date for the rumored 10-inch Apple Tablet?

The Financial Times is reporting that Apple is racing to have the tablet ready for the holiday shopping season and is targeting a September rollout. The tablet would coincide with another project Apple is undertaking with the big four music labels to bundle albums together with an interactive booklet, sleeve notes, lyrics and other features.

The hope is that with this project, code-named “Cocktail,” Apple can entice music lovers to purchase albums again by giving them a more interactive package that will look great on a big 10-inch tablet. Online digital music downloads are doing well but it’s largely individual tracks, not the full albums which the music industry has long banked on.

Now what about this music album thing? I have to admit that when you listen to a great album in its entirety, it’s a very satisfying experience, hearing all the songs together. But most albums are not that way and that’s why we have so many individual tracks being sold. People realize that a lot of songs on albums are throwaways and time fillers. I’m not sure that bundling in some extras and updating the old LP experience will help albums that are just not that good. What do you think?